This panel addresses two very different nuclear cases. Iran is an NPT adherent with an ambiguous nuclear status as regards its possible intention to develop nuclear weapons, and Pakistan is a full-fledged nuclear capable state that is not a signatory of the NPT. Yet the two share a border and represent two geostrategic zones of critical importance to world peace and security. Iran’s nuclear program has created tensions across the Middle East, engaging Israel and the Arab world in various initiatives to prevent or contain the full nuclearization of Iran. Pakistan and India, recently called by The Economist “the most dangerous border in the world,” have gone to the brink of nuclear war several times, and experts see an expansion of the nuclear arsenals of Pakistan, India and China as one of the most disturbing trends of the new century.

The panel will address:
– The current status of the two programs
– Efforts by the international community to engage Iran on its nuclear activities, and prospects for progress in the P5 plus 1 process
– Iran’s motivations and intentions – as understood in the Arab world and beyond. Can India or Pakistan affect Iran’s policy? What can the Arab world do to affect outcomes?
– Evolving strategic doctrines in Pakistan (and India) that affect the nuclear weapons balance, including the China factor and the US-India nuclear agreement
– Nuclear safety and security concerns, especially in the aftermath of Japan – has public opinion in either country changed?